AIR PURIFIER

BACKGROUND
1. Field

Embodiments of the disclosure relate to air purifiers.

2. Description of the Related Art

Air purifiers are devices to suck contaminated air and purify and discharge the contaminated air. An air purifier typically uses a blower to suck air containing pollutants through a front intake port, pass the sucked air through a purification filter to remove pollutants, and discharge the purified air through an upper or side discharge port. The air purifier may have a fan function. When the air purifier operates in an air blowing mode, air may be discharged through the front intake port. In this state, air may be sucked through the discharge port, and it may be difficult to discharge a sufficient amount of air to satisfy the fan function due to flow resistance generated by the purification filter. Accordingly, in the air purifier having a fan function, the fan function may be only an auxiliary function.

SUMMARY

An air purifier according to an embodiment of the disclosure includes a blower which selectively supplies air in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction based on forward/reverse rotation, a first air vent located on the first direction side of the blower, a second air vent located on the second direction side of the blower, a purification filter located on an upstream side of the second air vent based on the second direction, a third air vent located on an upstream side of the blower based on the first direction, and a damper which opens/closes the third air vent.

An air purifier according to another embodiment of the disclosure includes a housing t provided with a first air vent, a second air vent, and a third air vent between the first air vent and the second air vent, where a flow path of air is formed in the housing, a blower located between the second air vent and the third air vent, a controller configured to drive the blower to discharge air in the first direction toward the first air vent in an air blowing mode and to drive the blower to discharge air in the second direction toward the second air vent in an air purification mode, a damper which opens the third air vent by a blowing pressure in the first direction, and a purification filter located on an upstream side of the second air vent based on the second direction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an air purifier according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an appearance of an air purifier according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an appearance of an air purifier according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment of a damper.

FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration view of a blower motor.

FIG. 6 is an example of a circuit to control a blower motor.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example of a control process of a blower motor.

FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an air purifier in an air purification mode according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an air purifier in an air blowing mode according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an air purifier according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 11 illustrates a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation result showing an air flow in an air purification mode in the embodiment of the air purifier illustrated in FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 illustrates a computational fluid dynamics simulation result showing an air flow in an air blowing mode in the embodiment of the air purifier illustrated in FIG. 10.

FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of an air purifier according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view of an air purifier according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which various embodiments are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms, and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.

The terms used in the disclosure have been selected from currently widely used general terms in consideration of the functions in the disclosure. However, the terms may vary according to the intention of one of ordinary skill in the art, case precedents, and the advent of new technologies. Furthermore, for special cases, meanings of the terms selected by the applicant are described in detail in the description section. Accordingly, the terms used in the disclosure are defined based on their meanings in relation to the contents discussed throughout the specification, not by their simple meanings.

It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “on” another element, it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements may be present therebetween. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on” another element, there are no intervening elements present.

It will be understood that, although the terms “first,” “second,” “third” etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another element, component, region, layer or section. Thus, “a first element,” “component,” “region,” “layer” or “section” discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings herein.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, “a”, “an,” “the,” and “at least one” do not denote a limitation of quantity, and are intended to include both the singular and plural, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Thus, reference to “an” element in a claim followed by reference to “the” element is inclusive of one element and a plurality of the elements. For example, “an element” has the same meaning as “at least one element,” unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. “At least one” is not to be construed as limiting “a” or “an.” “Or” means “and/or.” As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” or “includes” and/or “including” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

Furthermore, relative terms, such as “lower” or “bottom” and “upper” or “top,” may be used herein to describe one element's relationship to another element as illustrated in the Figures. It will be understood that relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in addition to the orientation depicted in the Figures. For example, if the device in one of the figures is turned over, elements described as being on the “lower” side of other elements would then be oriented on “upper” sides of the other elements. The term “lower,” can therefore, encompasses both an orientation of “lower” and “upper,” depending on the particular orientation of the figure. Similarly, if the device in one of the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements would then be oriented “above” the other elements. The terms “below” or “beneath” can, therefore, encompass both an orientation of above and below.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and the present disclosure, and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

Embodiments are described herein with reference to cross section illustrations that are schematic illustrations of idealized embodiments. As such, variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result, for example, of manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances, are to be expected. Thus, embodiments described herein should not be construed as limited to the particular shapes of regions as illustrated herein but are to include deviations in shapes that result, for example, from manufacturing. For example, a region illustrated or described as flat may, typically, have rough and/or nonlinear features. Moreover, sharp angles that are illustrated may be rounded. Thus, the regions illustrated in the figures are schematic in nature and their shapes are not intended to illustrate the precise shape of a region and are not intended to limit the scope of the present claims.

Embodiments are provided to further completely explain the disclosure to one of ordinary skill in the art to which the disclosure pertains, with reference to the drawings. However, the disclosure is not limited thereto and it will be understood that various changes in form and details may be made therein In the drawings, a part that is not related to a description is omitted to clearly describe the disclosure and, throughout the specification, similar parts are referenced with similar reference numerals. Hereinafter, embodiments of the disclosure are described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In air purifiers, in order to implement a fan function with sufficient blowing capacity, a large blower with large capacity may be employed. In this case, an air purifier may be made large. Furthermore, consumption energy of an air purifier may be increased. The disclosure provides a compact air purifier with a fan function and an air purification function.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an air purifier according to an embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an appearance of an air purifier according to an embodiment of the disclosure. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an air purifier according to an embodiment may include a housing 100, a blower 10, a controller 40, and a purification filter 30.

The housing 100 may form an air flow path. The housing 100 may function, for example, as a duct. The housing 100 may be provided with first, second, and third air vents 191, 192, and 193 defined therein. In an embodiment, for example, the housing 100 may include a front housing 101 and a rear housing 102. The rear housing 102 may have a shape with an open front side, and the front housing 101 may be coupled to the rear housing 102 to close the open front side of the rear housing 102. The first, second, and third air vents 191, 192, and 193 are paths to allow elements in the housing 100 to communicate with the outside. The housing 100 accommodates the blower 10 and the purification filter 30.

In an embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the first air vent 191 may be provided in at least one of a front portion 100F, a side portion 100S, and a top portion 100T of the housing 100. In such an embodiment, the first air vent 191 is provided in each of the front portion 100F, the side portion 100S, and the top portion 100T of the housing 100. Accordingly, in an air blowing mode, a sufficient amount of air may be discharged to the front side. The second air vent 192 may be provided in at least one of the side portion 100S, the top portion 100T, and a rear portion 100R of the housing 100. In an embodiment, the second air vent 192 may be provided in the top portion 100T of the housing 100. In an embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the second air vent 192 may be formed across the top portion 100T and the rear portion 100R of the housing 100. The third air vent 193 is located between the first air vent 191 and the second air vent 192. The third air vent 193 may be provided in at least one of the side portion 100S and the top portion 100T of the housing 100. In an embodiment, the third air vent 193 may be provided in the side portion 100S and the top portion 100T of the housing 100.

The blower 10 is arranged between the second air vent 192 and the third air vent 193. The blower 10 may include a fan and a blowing motor that rotates the fan. The blower 10 is capable of forward/reverse rotation. The blower 10 may supply air in a first direction D1 and a second direction D2 opposite to the first direction D1 based on a rotation direction of the fan. The first direction D1 is a direction in which air is sucked through the third air vent 193 and discharged through the first air vent 191. The second direction D2 is a direction in which air is sucked through the first air vent 191 and discharged through the second air vent 192. The first air vent 191 is located in the first direction D1 based on the blower 10. In other words, the first air vent 191 is located on the downstream side of the blower 10 based on the first direction D1. The second air vent 192 is located in the second direction D2 based on the blower 10. In other words, the second air vent 192 is located on the downstream side of the blower 10 based on the second direction D2. The third air vent 193 is located in the second direction D2 based on the blower 10. In other words, the third air vent 193 is located on the upstream side of the blower 10 based on the first direction D1.

The purification filter 30 is located on the upstream side of the second air vent 192 based on the second direction D2. To reduce flow resistance in the air blowing mode, the purification filter 30 is located on the upstream side of the third air vent 193 based on the first direction D1. The purification filter 30 may include one or a plurality of functional filters. For example, the purification filter 30 may include a dust filter to remove particulate pollutants, a deodorizing filter to remove odors, a volatile organic compound (VOC), or the like, a bio filter to remove a bio material, such as viruses, bacteria, etc., or the like. The dust filter may be classified into classes of medium filter, high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, ultra-low particulate air ULPA filter, or the like according to performance. The purification filter 30 may be accommodated in the housing 100 and may be replaceable.

The blower 10 may be installed on a frame 50. The purification filter 30 may be installed on a filter cover 60. The filter cover 60 may be coupled to the frame 50. The frame 50, on which the blower 10 is installed, and the filter cover 60, on which the purification filter 30 is installed, are accommodated in the housing 100.

The third air vent 193 is closed in an air purification mode so that the air flowing in the second direction D2 is discharged through the second air vent 192. The third air vent 193 is open in the air blowing mode. In the air blowing mode, the air is sucked into the housing 100 through the third air vent 193, flows in the first direction D1, and is discharged through the first air vent 191. In an embodiment, a damper 70 may be provided in the housing 100 to open/close the third air vent 193. The damper 70 opens the third air vent 193 in the air blowing mode. The damper 70 closes the third air vent 193 in the air purification mode.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the damper 70 according to an embodiment. Referring to FIG. 4, a hinge hole 103 is provided on an inner wall of the rear housing 102. The damper 70 may include a hinge axis 71 inserted into the hinge hole 103. When the hinge axis 71 is inserted into the hinge hole 103, the damper 70 may rotate around the hinge axis 71 to open/close the third air vent 193. The hinge hole 103 may be located on the downstream side of the third air vent 193 based on the first direction D1. According to an embodiment having such a configuration, by the blowing pressure in the first direction D1, the damper 70 may pivot in a direction to open the third air vent 193. Furthermore, by the blowing pressure in the second direction D2, the damper 70 pivots in a direction to close the third air vent 193. In an embodiment, an elastic member 80 that applies an elastic force to the damper 70 in a direction to close the third air vent 193 may be provided. The elastic member 80 may be implemented, for example, by a torsion spring having a wound portion supported around the hinge axis 71 and one side arm and the other side arm supported on the inner wall of the rear housing 102 and the damper 70, respectively. According to an embodiment having such as configuration, in the air purification mode, the damper 70 may be stably located at a position to close the third air vent 193 so that unpurified air may be effectively prevented from being discharged through the third air vent 193.

In an embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 1, an air purifier may further include an actuator 75 that opens/closes the damper 70. The actuator 75 may pivot the damper 70 to an open position where the third air vent 193 is open and a closed position where the third air vent 193 is closed. For example, the actuator 75 may include a motor. The controller 40 may drive the actuator 75 in the air blowing mode to pivot the damper 70 to the open position. The controller 40 may drive the actuator 75 in the air purification mode to pivot the damper 70 to the closed position.

In an embodiment, although it is not illustrated in the drawings, the damper 70 may slide to the open position or the closed position. In such an embodiment, the actuator 75 may include a motor. The actuator 75 may be connected to the damper 70 by means of, for example, a rack-pinion mechanism. The controller 40 may drive the actuator 75 to slide the damper 70 to the open position and the closed position, respectively, in the air blowing mode and in the air purification mode.

The controller 40 may include an operation control circuit to control an operation of the air purifier, a user interface including an input unit to receive a user input and an output unit to display a control state, a motor control circuit to control the blowing motor, a power control module, or the like. The controller 40 selectively drives the blower 10 in the first direction D1 and the second direction D2, respectively, in the air blowing mode and the air purification mode. The controller 40 drives, in the air blowing mode, the blower 10 to discharge air in the first direction D1 toward the first air vent 191, and in the air purification mode, the blower 10 to discharge air in the second direction D2 toward the second air vent 192.

FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration view of a blower motor. FIG. 6 is an example of a circuit to control a blower motor. FIG. 7 illustrates an example of a control process of a blower motor. In an embodiment, referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the blowing motor may include a 3-phase motor. The blowing motor may include a stator ST and a rotor RT. The stator ST may include a plurality of coil portion. The rotor RT may include a plurality of magnetic poles. In an embodiment, the rotor RT may include four magnetic poles, and the stator ST may include six coil portions. The six coil portions include two U phases, two V phases, and two W phases. The magnetic poles induced in the U phase, the V phase, and the W phase vary depending on a combination of voltages applied to transistors Tr1 to Tr6. By sequentially controlling the magnetic poles induced in the U phase, the V phase, and the W phase, the blowing motor may be driven clockwise or counterclockwise.

For example, as illustrated in FIG. 7, when a combination of voltages applied to the transistors Tr1 to Tr6 is controlled in an order of step 1 to step 12, the blowing motor is driven clockwise so that, for example, the blower 10 may supply air in the first direction D1. When the combination of voltages applied to the transistors Tr1 to Tr6 is controlled in an order of step 12 to step 1, the blowing motor is driven counterclockwise so that, for example, the blower 10 may supply air in the second direction D2.

FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of the air purifier in the air purification mode. FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of the air purifier in the air blowing mode. In FIGS. 8 and 9, the housing 100 forming a duct is schematically illustrated in a linear form. First, a process in which the air purifier operates in the air purification mode will be described with reference to FIG. 8. In an embodiment, the damper 70 is located at the position where the third air vent 193 is closed by the elastic force of the elastic member 80. In the air purification mode, the controller 40 may drive the blower 10 counterclockwise by controlling the combination of the voltages applied to the transistors Tr1 to Tr6 in the order of step 12 to step 1. The blower 10 may supply air in the second direction D2 Such that the air is sucked into the housing 100 through the first air vent 191. The sucked air causes friction on an outer surface of the damper 70. As the hinge hole (103 of FIG. 4) that is the rotational center of the damper 70 is located on the upstream side of the third air vent 193 based on the second direction D2, a force in a direction in which the damper 70 is maintained at a closed position is applied to the damper 70 by the blowing pressure in the second direction D2. As the air passes through the purification filter 30, pollutants are removed from the air. Purified air is discharged to the outside of the housing 100 through the second air vent 192. As the third air vent 193 is in a closed state, the air sucked into the housing 100 through the first air vent 191 all passes through the purification filter 30 to be discharged through the second air vent 192. Accordingly, the air purification mode without air loss may be implemented in such an embodiment.

Next, a process in which the air purifier operates in the air blowing mode will be described with reference to FIG. 9. In the air blowing mode, the controller 40 may drive the blowing motor clockwise by controlling the combination of the voltages applied to the transistors Tr1 to Tr6 in the order of step 1 to step 12. The blower 10 may supply air in the first direction D1 such that the air is sucked into the housing 100 partially through the second air vent 192. The air flowing in the first direction D1 causes friction on the outer surface of the damper 70. As the hinge hole (103 of FIG. 4) that is the rotational center of the damper 70 is located on the downstream side of the third air vent 193 based on the first direction D1, a force in a direction in which the damper 70 is rotated to an open position is applied to the damper 70 by the blowing pressure in the first direction D1, and thus, the third air vent 193 is open. When the third air vent 193 is open, air is sucked into the housing 100 through the third air vent 193. The flow resistance in the housing 100 decreases. The air is introduced into the housing 100 mainly through the third air vent 193 in which flow resistance is small. While the air flow in the first direction D1 is maintained, the damper 70 is maintained in a state in which the third air vent 193 is open. As the third air vent 193 is in an open state, a load applied to the blower 10 is reduced. Accordingly, the wind volume of air flowing in the first direction D1 increases.

In an air purifier according to the related art in which no third air vent 193 is provided, as the air sucked through the second air vent 192 in the air blowing mode passes through the purification filter 30 and is discharged through the first air vent 191, flow resistance increases such that a sufficient amount of air may not be discharged through the first air vent 191. In order to increase the wind volume in the air blowing mode, a large blower with a large capacity may be desired to be adopted. In this case, the size of an air purifier may increase and electric energy consumed by the blower may also increase. According to an embodiment of the air purifier, by adopting the third air vent 193, the air blowing mode in which a sufficient amount of air is discharged to the outside of the housing 100 through the first air vent 191 may be implemented without increasing the capacity of the blower 10 or the electric energy applied to the blower 10. Accordingly, in such an embodiment, a compact air purifier that can be driven in the air purification mode and the air blowing mode with a sufficient blowing capacity may be implemented. Furthermore, in such an embodiment, as the third air vent 193 may be closed by the damper 70 in the air purification mode, the air purification mode without air loss may be implemented.

When the rotation of the blower 10 stops or the mode is changed back to the air purification mode so that the blower 10 rotates counterclockwise, due to the pressure of air flowing in the second direction D2, the damper 70 may be rotated to a position where the third air vent 193 is closed. In an embodiment where the elastic member 80 is adopted, the rotation of the blower 10 stops, and then, the damper 70 is rotated by the elastic force of the elastic member 80 to close the third air vent 193. As the third air vent 193 is maintained in a closed state while the air purifier is not in use, foreign materials, such as dust or the like, may be effectively prevented from being introduced into the housing 100 through the third air vent 193.

FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an air purifier according to an embodiment of the disclosure. The embodiment of the air purifier shown in FIG. 10 is substantially the same as the embodiment of the air purifier described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 except that the purification filter 30 is arranged adjacent to the second air vent 192. According to an embodiment having such as configuration, it may be easy to arrange the third air vent 193 on the downstream side of the purification filter 30 and also on the upstream side of the blower 10 based on the first direction D1.

FIG. 11 illustrates a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation result showing an air flow in the air purification mode in the embodiment of the air purifier illustrated in FIG. 10. FIG. 12 illustrates a computational fluid dynamics simulation result showing an air flow in the air blowing mode in the embodiment of the air purifier illustrated in FIG. 10. Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, in the air blowing mode, compared with the air purification mode, a sufficient discharge wind volume may be implemented.

FIG. 13 is a schematic view of an air purifier according to an embodiment of the disclosure. In FIG. 13, the housing 100 forming a duct is schematically illustrated in a linear form. Referring to FIG. 13, a flow control guide 90 that adjusts the direction of discharged air may be provided in the first air vent 191. The flow control guide 90 may guide the direction of air discharged through the first air vent 191 in the left and right direction or the up and down direction. The flow control guide 90 may periodically change the direction of air in the left and right direction or the up and down direction. In an embodiment, a plurality of flow control guides 90 may be supported on the housing 100 to be pivotable around an axis 91. An adjustment axis 92 may be provided on the flow control guide 90. An operation member 94 may be moved, for example, in directions A1 and A2 perpendicular to the air discharge direction. An operation hole 95 is provided in the operation member 94. The adjustment axis 92 of the flow control guide 90 is inserted into the operation hole 95. When the operation member 94 is moved in the directions A1 and A2 by using an actuator 96, the flow control guide 90 pivots around the axis 91. Accordingly, in such an embodiment, the direction of air discharged through the first air vent 191 may be adjusted by the flow control guide 90. Although it is not illustrated in the drawings, a flow control guide fan that is driven to pivot in the left and right direction or the up and down direction may be provided in the first air vent 191.

In an embodiment, the air purifier may include a plurality of blowers. In such an embodiment, the plurality of blowers may be arranged in parallel. The number of blowers may be determined based on an environment in which the air purifier is used, for example, the size of a purification space, an average contamination degree, or the like. FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view of an air purifier according to an embodiment of the disclosure. The embodiments of the air purifier shown in FIG. 14 is substantially the same as the embodiments of the air purifier described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10 and FIG. 13 except for adopting two blowers arranged in parallel. In the following descriptions, components having the same functions as those described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10 and FIG. 13 are indicated by the same reference numerals, and any repetitive detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted. Referring to FIG. 14, the air purifier according to an embodiment may include the housing 100, blowers 11 and 12, the controller 40, and purification filters 31 and 32.

In an embodiment, as shown in FIG. 14, the two blowers 11 and 12 may be arranged in the up and down direction in parallel to each other. Although it is not illustrated in the drawings, in an embodiment, the blowers 11 and 12 may be arranged in a lateral direction, for example, in the left and right direction in parallel to each other. The structures of the blowers 11 and 12 may be the same as that of the blower 10 described above. The purification filters 31 and 32 correspond to the blowers 11 and 12, respectively. The purification filters 31 and 32 may be the same as the purification filter 30 described above. The frame 50 may have a shape capable of accommodating the blowers 11 and 12. The filter cover 60 may have a shape capable of accommodating the purification filters 31 and 32. The filter cover 60 may be coupled to the frame 50. The frame 50 on which the blowers 11 and 12 are installed and the filter cover 60 on which the purification filter 30 is installed are accommodated in the housing 100.

The controller 40 may include the control circuit illustrated in FIG. 6 corresponding to each of the blowers 11 and 12. The controller 40 may drive each of the blowers 11 and 12 clockwise or counterclockwise. The controller 40 may selectively drive the blowers 11 and 12. For example, depending on a blowing stage, the controller 40 may drive both of the blowers 11 and 12 clockwise or counterclockwise or one of the blowers 11 and 12 clockwise or counterclockwise. Although it is not illustrated in the drawings, the flow control guides 90 illustrated in FIG. 13 may be arranged in the up and down direction to correspond to each of the blowers 11 and 12. The flow control guides 90 may be arranged in the lateral direction to correspond to each of the blowers 11 and 12.

The air purifier according to an embodiment of the disclosure includes: a blower which selectively supplies air in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction based on forward/reverse rotation; a first air vent located on the first direction side of the blower; a second air vent located on the second direction side of the blower; a purification filter located on an upstream side of the second air vent based on the second direction; a third air vent located on an upstream side of the blower based on the first direction; and a damper which opens/closes the third air vent.

The air purifier according to an embodiment may include a controller configured to selectively drive the blower in the first direction and the second direction, respectively, in an air blowing mode and an air purification mode.

According to an embodiment, when the blower is driven in the first direction, the damper may open the third air vent by a blowing pressure.

The air purifier according to an embodiment may include an elastic member that applies, to the damper, an elastic force in a direction to close the third air vent.

According to an embodiment, the third air vent may be located on a downstream side of the purification filter based on the first direction.

According to an embodiment, the third air vent may be located on an upstream side of the blower based on the first direction.

The air purifier according to an embodiment may include a plurality of blowers. The plurality of blowers may be arranged in parallel to each other.

An air purifier according to an embodiment of the disclosure may include: a housing provided with a first air vent, a second air vent, and a third air vent between the first air vent and the second air vent, where a flow path of air is formed in the housing; a blower arranged between the second air vent and the third air vent; a controller configured to drive the blower in forward/reverse directions to discharge the air in a first direction toward the first air vent in the air blowing mode and to discharge the air in a second direction toward the second air vent in the air purification mode; a damper that opens the third air vent by a blowing pressure in the first direction; and a purification filter arranged on an upstream side of the second air vent based on the second direction.

According to an embodiment, the damper may close the third air vent by a blowing pressure in the second direction.

The air purifier according to an embodiment may include an elastic member that applies, to the damper, an elastic force in a direction to close the third air vent.

According to an embodiment, the third air vent may be located on a downstream side of the purification filter based on the first direction.

According to an embodiment, the third air vent may be located on an upstream side of the blower based on the first direction.

The air purifier according to an embodiment may include a plurality of blowers. The plurality of blowers may be arranged in parallel to each other.

According to the air purifier according to the disclosure, by employing the third air vent that is selectively opened in the air blowing mode, it is possible to implement a compact air purifier that can be driven in the air blowing mode with a sufficient blowing capacity.

The invention should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the concept of the invention to those skilled in the art.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

	Number	Date	Country
Parent	PCT/KR2022/019707	Dec 2022	WO
Child	18792981		US

AIR PURIFIER

Information

Publication Number

Date Filed

Date Published

Inventors

Original Assignees

CPC

International Classifications

Abstract

Description

Claims

Priority Claims (1)

Parent Case Info

Continuations (1)